Joe Biden’s underwhelming convention farewell speech

Joe Biden has given a speech at every single Democratic National Convention since 1976. Tonight was his last and he didn’t start speaking until 10.28 p.m., local time. Far past his bed time. 

Why so late? Poor planning? Or a cynical attempt to push the President’s appearance past ‘prime time’ – in case he had another major meltdown? 

Convention officials were quick to say that Biden’s big finale had been delayed by the ‘raucous applause’ and ‘electric atmosphere’ in the convention centre, which had interrupted speakers in the build-up. Hmmm. Perhaps we’ll never know. Whatever the case, it seemed to add insult to injury for a Commander-in-Chief who, as everyone knows, has been forced to stand down from the 2024 election.

As it turned out, the speech wasn’t too bad, albeit underwhelming. After his daughter, Ashley, had introduced him as ‘the OG girl dad’, Biden appeared on stage, dabbed his eyes with his handkerchief, expressed some gratitude, and shouted: ‘America I love you!’

In the crowd, the former House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, the woman widely understood to have forced Biden out of the 2024 election, looked only slightly guilty as she joined in the chant: ‘We love Joe! We love Joe!’ 

Yeah, Nancy, of course you do.